The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-22
WOMEN AT THE POLLS.
AN INTERESTING ELECTION PICNIC
IN THE FAR WEST.

How the Fair Sex Utilize the Ballot
The Ways of the Feminine Voter
An Election Canard That Cleared
the Polling Place-The Age Question.
From the Ne,o York Star.
Though tenderfoot and acquainted with
few in our vicinity, was appointed judge
of the election in Mica precinct. For the
free West holds out prompt and friendly
hand to all newcomers. Until man
shows himself aknave he is welcomed as an
honorable citizen and place is made for him
on his merits. If he proves a knave, no
where in the wide world will he be more
frankly advertised, and nowhere else will
thorns be piled so mountainously before
him,
A fierce local struggle was in progress be-
twixt two rival towns for the permanent
county seat, and runners had been through
the precincts urging every body to bring out
the votes of the ladies In this chivalrouS
region our women have equal preogatives
with men, although they view the ballot
with an indifference agoniZing to all advo-
Gates of suffrage.
/ went early to the polls, a small log
schoolhouse in the hills, Swallowed by lofty
pines. Between the vistas of surrounding
lOTcSb IDNTt WIS Nl5ttDleu NOOutu
below stretching from north to south, and
beyond this belt the prairies lay brown and
bare TO the sky line. Behind us towerrd the
imposing proclivities of Mica Peak.
A primeval scene for neighbors here were
few and far between, and the scratches of
the plow were too trivial in the great en-
semble to attract attention. A rough wagon
road ran by the school house, wherein deer
tracks were quite as common as hoof prints
of horses.
OUR FIRST VOTER.
The ladies were not early at the polls
Our first voter was a picturesque Western
character. He arrived at a gallop, cried
whoa! with a resonance which made the
woods ring, refined his horse furiously before
the door, tossed his lines over a limb and
strobe into the room. He was already pro-
vided with ticket, which he Haunted con-
spicuously He stood SIX feet in height
slender and sinewy, face bronzed, eyes of
glittering hazel, and moustache, beard and
hair long and black He was CARRIED in a
fannel-lined duck coat, pants tucked into
dragon boots, and a Tapping broad
brimmed sombrero hat. The belt at his
waist held large revolver and spurs tin
killed. on his heels Of ferocious aspect, the
intensity of his appearance was heightened
by his prodigious basso voice as he adj
vanced flourishing the ticket and exclaiming
in words timed to his footsteps:
docs anybody challenge my votes"
Whereupon he folded the ballot and was
about to thrust it into the box with bravado
when the inspector interfered. He had lived
on the border too long to be affected by cos
tune or demeanor.
Hold ON, my friend p he said, generously.
And looking about upon his comrades he
asked: "Do any of YOU know this MANI
One of the judges replied:
He's all right. Been prospecting on
Mica Peak ever since last spring.
Whereupon the Inspector put the ticket in
the box and our initial voter galloped off
triumt ,hantly.
II fear it will be unpleasant for the ladies
to vote here,n said l. made somewhat I'M
easy by this brusque episode and observing
the swarm of roughly clad ranchers now
gathering
The inspector was surprised, even
amused.
"Oh, no, we'll make it easy for 'em.
There'll be few like this filibuster"
But it seemed to me, fresh from the East
that for ladies to face this crowd of shaggy
bachelors would be disagreeable. For the
bulk of population on the frontier consists
of single men, women being scarce and rare
like paper money.
The hours sped by and not a woman ap-
peared. The ranchers came in at intervals,
voted, and went away, the arrivals offset
ting the departures, so that we had about
score continually around the polls. Hardy,
vigorous outspoken fellows they were, full
of the hope and courage with which our
borders overflow But my tender soul was
worried, fearing the ladies would shrink to
enter building thus barricaded by burly
men.
little knew!
IN POSSESSION.
Presently came a family party, a man.
wife and three small children And now
from every direction, as if by preconcert-
ed arrangement. wagons drove up containing
similar households. For these people had no
servants with whom to leave their children.
Not only were all the little ones brought
along, but enormous jugs of milk and
baskets of lunch. The bachelors scattered
timidly and the ladies Swarmed in upon u.s.
moved the benches around the fire, block
AIDED the doorway, and took entire posses
sion of the premises. They were farmers
wives, buxom, sensible and energetic A
more domestic scene one seldom sees. Here
a mother nursing her baby, there a fond
father trolling his infant daughter, yonder
knot of women exchanging recipes for
mixed pickles, and again an eager group
setting out lunch and passing pie and sliced
pork 10 Jnelf friends.
could not at first understand this inva-
sion, until learned that the school house
was the one public resort for social pur-
poses. Dancies, parties, singing schools,
preaching and political meetings all were
held here. A gathering at the school house
was the signal for general aSsemblage of
friends, and the women had evidently given
more thought to this fact than to the origi-
nal motive of the occasion.
Still they came. By noon the building
was fairly packed, and the picnic appear
ance increased with every arrival Bis
cults, sandwiches cake, sauce, boiled eggs,
canteens of cold tea were laid out on every
side, and the babel was confounding.
IF you iron ginghams and calicoes on the
wrong side they look"
"His very best COW. The snow was
deep, and all the poor thing got to eat was
moss
'They say her victuals taste of pine
gum half the time Drips from the pitch
rafters-n
Ipulled the poor child's tooth myself,
So"
"Who shall you vote for, Suer
"Me' | don't know. Jack amt here
yet"
mammal Give me some pie. tool"
"Oh, Eliza at the polls after allP'
'Yes. Didn't want to come bit Bill is
Republican, and | told him I'd vote Demo-
cratic sure If he made me come. But he
said no matter, SO long as we both vote for
Spokane Falls
1.-THE ground squirrels just ate us up alive.
And we hauled water two miles to cook
with. ! never was so discouraged
4 H..